Interventional Treatment of Advanced Ischemic Heart Disease

Advanced ischemic heart disease is fast becoming one of the most challenging problems facing the modern cardiovascular physician and current established therapies often fail to adequately address this population of patients. As therapy of heart disease evolves, we need to address the challenging questions posed by this clinical problem. Treatment of Advanced Ischemic Heart Disease brings together the most recent advances in surgical techniques, protection of the heart and postoperative care, to aid the study and treatment of these patients who deserve the best that modern medicine can provide them.§§The diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease and heart failure has now been standardized to the point that there are very well established guidelines promoted by the American Heart Association and The American College of Cardiology. This text will pick up where the guidelines leave off and address the real challenge of patients with advanced ischemic heart disease. Though therapy is clearly challenging, new advances are making effective therapy of these patients truly possible. This text embodies that notion. Finally, there is much still to learn about the basic mechanisms of the progression of heart failure due to coronary artery disease and how best to assess these therapeutic options. The text will address these with a focus on treatment so that it may be a practical reference for the practicing clinician as well as the basic or clinical researcher and student.